Fritz Wiessner (February 26, 1900 – July 3, 1988) was a German American pioneer of
free climbing
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress. Th ...
. Born in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, he immigrated to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1929 and became a U.S. citizen in 1935. In 1939, he made one of the earliest attempts to climb
K2, one of the most difficult mountains in the world to climb.
Early days
Wiessner started climbing with his father in the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. At the age of 12, he climbed the
Zugspitze
The Zugspitze (), at above Normalhöhennull, sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Austria–Germany border runs over ...
, the highest peak in Germany. In the 1920s, he established hard climbing routes in
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
and the
Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
that have a present-day difficulty rating of up to
5.11. That was at a time when the hardest free climbing grade in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
was
5.7. At the age of 25, he made the first ascent of the ''Fleischbank'' in
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
, which was proclaimed the hardest rock climb done at that time.
Wiessner's physical qualities were atypical of mountaineering. He was tall, slope-shouldered and stocky. He had a wide and friendly grin and his speciality was
wide crack, or off-width, climbing, a technique that demands both technical mastery and uncommon strength.
A new standard
In 1931, Wiessner made contact with members of the
American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club (AAC) is a non-profit member organization with more than 24,000 members. Its vision is to create "a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes." The Club is housed in the American Mountaineerin ...
and immediately set a new standard in American
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
. Across
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, he established a substantial list of
first ascent
In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...
s at such climbing areas as
Ragged Mountain (Connecticut);
Cannon Mountain (
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
);
Wallface Mountain
Wallface Mountain is a mountain located in Essex County, New York, United States.
The mountain is named after the cliff on its southeastern side.
Wallface is flanked to the west by MacNaughton Mountain, and faces Mount Marshall to the southea ...
,
New York Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
;
Mt. Rushmore National Memorial,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
;
Devils Tower
Devils Tower (also known as Bear Lodge Butte) is a butte, possibly laccolithic, composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills, near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle F ...
,
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
(the first free ascent); and
Mount Waddington
Mount Waddington, once known as Mystery Mountain, is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Although it is lower than Mount Fairweather and Mount Quincy Adams, which straddle the United States border between Alask ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
.
In 1935, while climbing at
Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the Hudson River between Beacon and Cold Spring, New York, straddling the boundary between Dutchess and Putnam counties. Its distinctive rocky cliffs are visible for a long distance when approached from the ...
on the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
, Wiessner spotted the gleaming white
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
cliffs of the
Shawangunks in the distance. The following weekend he set off in search of the tantalizing cliffs and immediately set about climbing the highest point in the area, a cliff now known as ''Millbrook mountain''. Along with John and Peggy Navas, he established a route now named Old Route
5.5, the first recorded technical rock climb in the Shawangunks, and in doing so helped to establish the area as a mecca for rock climbers.
Wiessner, often in partnership with fellow immigrant
Hans Kraus
Hans Kraus (November 28, 1905 in Austria-Hungary – March 6, 1996, in New York City) was a physician, physical therapist, mountaineer and alpinist. A pioneer of modern rock climbing, he was also one of the fathers of sports medicine and physica ...
, established numerous first ascents in the Gunks, including many climbs that are popular (and intimidating) to this day. Perhaps their best known combined effort is the very popular ''High Exposure'' buttress
5.6 .22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms caliber, bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm).
Cartridge (firearms), Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used .22 Long Rifle and .223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO.
...
, which they first climbed in 1941 with a hemp rope and three soft iron
piton
A piton (; also called ''pin'' or ''peg'') in climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber against the ...
s. Other notable Wiessner first ascents in the Gunks include: ''Gargoyle''
5.5, ''High Traverse''
5.5, ''White Pillar''
5.7, ''Baby''
5.6 .22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms caliber, bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm).
Cartridge (firearms), Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used .22 Long Rifle and .223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO.
...
, ''Frogs Head''
5.6 .22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms caliber, bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm).
Cartridge (firearms), Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used .22 Long Rifle and .223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO.
...
; ''Gelsa''
5.4, ''High Corner''
5.7 and ''Yellow Ridge''
5.7. In 1946, he led ''Minnie Belle'', the first
5.8 in the Gunks.
In 1935, Wiessner established a climb in Connecticut called ''Vector.''
5.8.
When rock climbing, Wiessner often paired himself with novices, and with women in particular. He always insisted on being the
lead climber
Lead climbing is a climbing style, predominantly used in rock climbing. In a roped party one climber has to take the lead while the other climbers follow. The ''lead climber'' wears a harness attached to a climbing rope, which in turn is connected ...
(in an era when a leader fall could easily prove disastrous for the entire party and the maxim of the day was "The leader must never fall"). After meeting Hans Kraus, he relaxed his "lead-climb only" rule (which Kraus had also adopted), and the two men climbed as equal partners.
K2 expedition
In 1939, he led an ill-fated American expedition to
K2, coming within 700 feet of the summit before having to turn back. Wiessner recounted that, although the difficulties of the climb had been passed and the remainder was straightforward, he turned back in deference to the wishes of his
sherpa Sherpa may refer to:
Ethnography
* Sherpa people, an ethnic group in north eastern Nepal
* Sherpa language
Organizations and companies
* Sherpa (association), a French network of jurists dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility
* ...
,
Pasang Dawa Lama. No one came as close to the top of the mountain again until July 31, 1954, when the first ascent was achieved by
Lino Lacedelli
Lino Lacedelli (4 December 1925 – 20 November 2009) was an Italian mountaineer. Together with Achille Compagnoni, on 31 July 1954 he was the first man to reach the summit of K2.
Early life
Lacedelli was born in Cortina d'Ampezzo. His climbi ...
and
Achille Compagnoni
Achille Compagnoni (26 September 1914 – 13 May 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and skier. Together with Lino Lacedelli on 31 July 1954 he was in the first party to reach the summit of K2.
Biography
Compagnoni was born in Santa Caterina d ...
on the
1954 Italian Karakoram expedition.
Non-climbing
During his first years in America, Wiessner founded a chemical company that specialized in waxes, including a widely used
ski wax
Ski wax is a material applied to the bottom of snow runners, including skis, snowboards, and toboggans, to improve their coefficient of friction performance under varying snow conditions. The two main types of wax used on skis are glide waxes and ...
known as Wiesner's Wonder Wax. He successfully developed his company during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
of the 1930s.
Wiessner was also a proficient skier. He was reportedly disappointed that he was not allowed to fight for the U.S. in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, serving instead as a technical advisor to the
10th Mountain Division, and to the "equipment for cold climatic areas commission" of the office of the
Quartermaster General of the United States Army
The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily ...
in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
.
Later years
Wiessner remained an active climber up into his eighties, often stunning onlookers in the Shawangunks by
soloing his early routes. He loved to solo his climb ''Gargoyle'' at
Skytop by the light of the full moon.
Once, when climbing with a much younger climber sometime in the mid-1970s, the younger climber led the first
pitch, and confided to Wiessner that he had soloed the route earlier in the week. "Ah, you must vee climbing pretty goot!" Wiessner said. He then took the lead for the second pitch, putting in no protection—effectively soloing the pitch. When his partner reached the top, Fritz grinned impishly. "I must vee climbing pretty good too" Wiessner (then in his middle 70s) said. (The source for this anecdote is
Guy Waterman).
Personal
In 1945, he married Muriel Schoonmaker. In 1946, their son Andrew was born. In 1947, their daughter Pauline (Polly) was born. Daughter and son both accompanied their father on many later expeditions and climbing trips. Muriel was a trusted climbing, scrambling, and skiing companion to Fritz for the rest of his life.
In 1952, the Wiessner family moved to
Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,223 at the 2020 census. The town lies on Vermont Routes 108 and 100. It is nicknamed "The Ski Capital of the East" and is home to Stowe Mountain Resort, a ski fac ...
, where Fritz would live to the end of his days. Wiessner died after suffering a series of strokes at age 88.
References
* Andreas, Gottfried (2000). ''Fritz Wiessner : 1900 – 1988.'' Dresden: Sächsischer Bergsteigerbund.
* Curran, Jim (1999). ''K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain''. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers Books.
*
* Schwartz, Susan (2005). ''Into The Unknown:'' ''The Remarkable Life of Hans Kraus''. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse.
* Waterman, Laura and Guy (2000). “The Big Little Man from Dresden,” in Laura and Guy Waterman, ''A Fine Kind of Madness: Mountain Adventures Tall and True'', Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers Books, 2000.
* Waterman, Laura and Guy (1993). ''Yankee Rock and Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States'', with A. Peter Lewis, photography. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
* Wiessner, Fritz (1955). ''K2: Tragödien und Sieg am Zweithöchsten Berg der Erde.'' Munich: Bergverlag Rudolf Rother.
* Williams, Richard (2000). ''Shawangunk Rock Climbs: The Trapps''. Golden, CO: American Alpine Club.
*
:de:Fritz Wiessner German Wikipedia article
Partial lists of climbs
Misc
External links
Short Bio of Fritz Wiessner
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiessner, Fritz
German mountain climbers
American mountain climbers
German emigrants to the United States
1900 births
1988 deaths